Investment Management Professionals

Abundance through Education

Investment Education Seminars for $zip

What is an I-share?

What Millionaires Do, and YOU Can, Too...

Financial Planner, Wealth Coach & Author Jeremy Britton will be speaking at several locations in Queensland during April. Please contact the IMP office for bookings on 1300 762 624 or call the venue (all are free events).

April 1st 3pm Brisbane Church of Christ Headquarters, Kenmore

April 2nd 10am Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, Southbank

April 3rd 10am Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, Southbank

April 18th 10am Whitsunday Anglican School, Mackay

April 19th 10am Mackay Convention Centre, Mackay

I-pod, I-phone, I-shares?

The Apple computer company turned the world on its ear (bad pun) a few years ago with the launch of the I-pod portable music player.

Since then, we have also seen the launch of the i-phone mobile phone, which includes satellite linkup and 'pocket computer' characteristics.

New on the horizon are investment vehicles 'i-shares', which may be set to turn the financial planning industry on its head.

For many years, if the public wished to invest into Australian shares, they could approach a stockbroker for direct shares or a financial planner for indirect shares or Aussie managed funds.
Both had their pros and cons, and the investor had a choice between using the two services to generate a similar result.

If the public wanted to invest into overseas markets (e.g. buying shares in China or Japan), it was mostly too difficult or too expensive to use a stockbroker, so the investor could have to use a financial planner to invest into overseas managed funds.
This seemed to then become another distinction between financial planners and stockbrokers: one could get you an overseas investment and one could not.

(It is important to realise that the vast majority of financial planners are not accredited to advise on direct shares as a stockbroker may do.)

With the introduction of i-shares (the I stands for "international"), Australian stockbrokers can now assist the public with investing into overseas markets. You may choose to buy a market such as the Chinese Index or Indian Index and this will be traded on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) in the same way as a share in Woolworths or Telstra.

Does this mean that people will no longer need to see a financial planner? Depending upon the clients' need, it could mean the demise of much of the planners' business. Certainly, losing the "overseas exclusive" may affect planning businesses.

There will always be room for good strategists, but a broker may start to fill a need that was once the sole domain of the planner...
Some planners may upskill themselves to be accredited in i-shares and ASX shares*, while others may simply find that they have lost significant advantage in the new open playing field.

It is unlikely that Microsoft will launch rivals to the Apple i-pod and i-phone. To do so could be expensive, risky or futile. Far wiser to concentrate on the home PC market and gaming consoles such as the X-Box.

As for what the financial planning industry will do to compete, we can only guess. Perhaps fees on overseas funds will come down in response to the availability of i-shares. We can live in hope...

CAUTION: there may be far greater volatility in I-share prices than in standard ASX shares, due to the nature of overseas markets and also the affect of currency prices (the Aussie dollar).

Jeremy Britton and Jacob van Rensburg are both qualified financial planners who are also uniquely accredited to advise on managed funds, direct ASX stocks and i-shares.

Find out more: www.24hourwealthcoach.com or 1300 762 624

To unsubscribe, please click here. Investment Management Professionals Pty Ltd ABN 37 115 359 316, corporate Authorised Representative #306558 of Financial Planning Services Australia Pty Ltd, AFSL 225982. www.24hourwealthcoach.com

How to avoid an 80% loss --- Have a prosperous 2008

2008 - The Year of The Triumphant Dragon & the Dying Eagle? Jeremy Britton







Thanks for your support throughout 2007: the year that was saw some mining stocks rise 100% and the US dollar drop 20%. This year we expect big things due to the 2008 Beijing Olympics in China, possible further interest rate rises, the change in government and maybe some more financial shocks out of the USA.



Is your super invested in the USA or China?



(check closely before you answer! Call us if you do not like the answer!)

The 2007 year also saw the collapse of several investments, including trouble with Prime Mortgages, Australian Capital Reserve (ACR), Bridgecorp, Fincorp, Westpoint, Centro (80% loss on commercial property?) and the US sub-prime mortgage fiasco, among others.



Interestingly, NOT ONE of our clients was affected by the collapse of these companies nor by the downturn in the US economy. (Insert your prayer of thanksgiving here.)

Did the team have crystal balls? No, we just look back to the past for clues to the future... (Would you like to learn how to do the same? Call us now!)

Stay tuned for further improvements to the IMP business, including the addition of a new financial planner & stockbroker, new facilities for investment loans & home loans, a new life insurance broker and the introduction of some amazing new taxation structures and tips for making you money and saving you tax… Some clients now pay 5% tax, not 45%.



We will also run a FaceBook campaign during Feb/March, to give away hundreds of free books to educate & enrich our fellow Australians.



In April, Jeremy will be speaking at the Brisbane Churches of Christ HQ in Kenmore (April 1st), the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre (April 2 and April 3) and at the Mackay Investment and Money Expo (April 19th). Free talks will also be given at Holy Spirit High School in Mackay and Mountain Creek High School, Sunshine Coast. Please contact us if you would like to attend.



If you know someone else who would benefit from unbiased education & independent enrichment, give us a call and see what we can offer.



All the best for a prosperous year





Jeremy, Jacob, Megan, Tim & team from IMP